Charming restaurants in Belgium

This stylish restaurant stands opposite the church where Pieter Bruegel was buried. The interior is decorated in a warm style, with mirrors, paintings and art nouveau lamps. The cook uses the best local ingredients, including Cantillon beer.

This is a charming Flemish country inn filled with antiques, old photographs and cycling memorabilia. It stands on a hill with a terrace that looks out across the rolling hills of Heuvelland. The owner Dirk is a former Belgian cyclist who with his wife Cathy has created a convivial place to enjoy traditional Flemish food accompanied by a local beer.

Don’t let the term ‘friture’ fool you: back in the day this used to be a chip shop, but today Friture René is a fully operational restaurant, decorated with old woodwork and checked tablecloths. Brusseleirs and chip addicts alike are hooked on the newspaper menu, packed with traditional Belgian dishes like cheese croquettes, steak with pepper sauce and moules parquées (raw mussels), to mention just a few. If you like anise flavours in particular, we recommend you to try the chef’s choice mussels, cooked with crème de pastis. Oh, and did we mention that the owner is a huge fan of champagne?

Situated near the characterful Meebrug next to the canal, this gem is a ray of sunshine. From the moment you walk through the curtain, you feel like you’ve stepped into chef Bruno Timpermans’ home – everything from the elegant tableware to the romantic candles make sure of that. Bruut is a marvellous bistro serving delicious food without all the fuss. We highly recommend choosing the wine-pairing menu, as Bruno has carefully selected some funky options to perfectly complement the locally sourced food.

Adorned with several hand-painted frescoes, a historical sculpted fireplace, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the garden, De Pastorie will make you look twice. The main charm of this former 18th-century presbytery lies however in the fact that there is a strict maximum of 20 guests at a time, who are all personally served by the chef and his wife, from Friday night till Monday night only. While the ever-welcoming Caroline Poppe guides you to your table, chef Pascal Vandenheulen grills, salts and smokes his seasonal products to perfection.

Arrive hungry after a walk (or ride) through the enchanting Muziekbos (or Musical Forest) – which is at its most beautiful in April and May when bluebells carpet the forest floor – and nearby Les Soeurs Louise will revive you with their fresh, homemade cuisine. At this family-run place, you will have met every relative by the time you finish your meal. This romantic restaurant has a large courtyard with an outdoor bar and garden terrace at the rear, the perfect place to enjoy some Flemish Ardennes bliss.

This beautiful converted farmhouse is a sanctuary for foodies and chefs. Siphon’s tables are covered in red and white checkered tablecloths and the waiters are wearing crisp white jackets with gold epaulettes, taking you on a trip back in time. Apart from their fresh eel, pheasant à la Brabançonne – deboned at the tableside – is a signature dish of the house. The vintage wines and the home-brewed beer will definitely please you as well.